Learning to focus (or focus less) on the anxiety helped me more than anything else!! I hesitated taking the class (COM 160: Managing Public Speaking Anxiety), but am so very glad that I did!! D.B
Power posing made me feel relaxed and relieved. In addition, it made me feel confident. I do not know how, but it worked! S.P.
I believe telling myself that I am a good speaker and putting positive thoughts about public speaking in my mind over and over has replaced the negative thoughts and allowed me to become more open to public speaking. Also, using the meditative techniques that we were taught in class (COM 160: Managing Public Speaking Anxiety) allowed me to calm myself down in order to perform better. P.B.
At the very first day, I was even afraid of going to school every day. My negative cognitive thinking made me keep thinking it would be hard, everyone will laugh at me, and I might get a poor grade. I had cold hands and feet, and I could not have lunch before those classes because of the public speaking anxiety - All caused by my negative thinking. However, once I broke the wall, my psychological pressure toward speaking decreased. As I became more confident of my public speaking skills and myself, I got to smile when I enter the class lab. My hands and legs are not shaking anymore. I can eat something for lunch. S.P
I still get nervous but I think it's a normal amount. I no longer want to run and hide whenever it's my turn to present. At the beginning of the semester I despised public speaking but now I can take it head on with confidence. The deep breathing helped the most because it calmed and relaxed my body. Also practicing multiple times because it made me confident about my topic. C.B.
